Lovingood to propose moratorium on solar projects

SPRING VALLEY LAKE • First District County Supervisor Robert Lovingood announced this week he will propose a moratorium on commercial solar projects.

The moratorium is to allow for the county to adequately plan for these projects while allowing for increased residential input, Lovingood said at a Spring Valley Lake Country Club event that featured a Q & A with Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley.

"Residents from Oak Hills to unincorporated Apple Valley and from Helendale to Newberry Springs are very concerned about how solar projects blight the rural character of their neighborhoods," Lovingood said Friday.

Lovingood is inviting residents to weigh in on the topic, either through email or by speaking in person during Wednesday's public hearing in San Bernardino.

According to the release, about 30 solar projects within the First District are currently in the works, proposing to cover 22,400 acres, or the equivalent of 35 square miles.

Jim E. Winburn can be reached at jwinburn@vvdailypress.com or at 760-955-5368.